Cordova ZeroConf Plugin

This plugin allows you to browse and publish ZeroConf/Bonjour/mDNS services from applications developed using PhoneGap/Cordova 3.0 or newer and Ionic's Capacitor.

This is not a background service. When the cordova view is destroyed/terminated, publish and watch operations are stopped.

CHANGELOG

Installation

Cordova

In your application project directory:

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-zeroconf

Capacitor (with typescript)

npm install cordova-plugin-zeroconf @ionic-native/zeroconf @ionic-native/core
npx cap sync

Usage

Cordova

var zeroconf = cordova.plugins.zeroconf;

Capacitor (with typescript)

You don't need to import it from the capacitor Plugins object, you can just directly import and use it. If you use the @ionic-native/zeroconf package you'll get typescript support.

import { Zeroconf } from "@ionic-native/zeroconf";

Zeroconf.watch("_http._tcp.", "local.").subscribe(result => {
  console.log("Zeroconf Service Changed:");
  console.log(result);
});

OS Specific Instructions

Android

For Android, you may want to set the following options to speed discovery up:

zeroconf.registerAddressFamily = 'ipv4'; // or 'ipv6' ('any' by default)
zeroconf.watchAddressFamily = 'ipv4'; // or 'ipv6' ('any' by default)

iOS

On iOS, you need to configure a couple of things before you can use this plugin. Specifically, you need to add the following to your Info.plist file. Please note that if you misconfigure your Info.plist file, you will receive an unhelpful null error when trying to watch/publish.

As Property List (Default View)

Privacy - Local Network Usage Description - Enter a description that's shown to the user in the network permission prompt. Bonjour services - Add an item for each zeroconf service you wish to expose or search for, in this format: _NameOfService._tcp..

As XML

<key>NSBonjourServices</key>
<array>
 <string>_NameOfService._tcp.</string>
</array>

<key>NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription</key>
<string>To find your jCharge server.</string>

API

getHostname(success, failure)

Returns this device's hostname.

zeroconf.getHostname(function success(hostname){
    console.log(hostname); // ipad-of-becvert.local.
});

register(type, domain, name, port, txtRecord, success, failure)

Publishes a new service.

zeroconf.register('_http._tcp.', 'local.', 'Becvert\'s iPad', 80, {
    'foo' : 'bar'
}, function success(result){
    var action = result.action; // 'registered'
    var service = result.service;
});

unregister(type, domain, name, success, failure)

Unregisters a service.

zeroconf.unregister('_http._tcp.', 'local.', 'Becvert\'s iPad');

stop(success, failure)

Unregisters all published services.

zeroconf.stop();

watch(type, domain, success, failure)

Starts watching for services of the specified type.

zeroconf.watch('_http._tcp.', 'local.', function(result) {
    var action = result.action;
    var service = result.service;
    if (action == 'added') {
        console.log('service added', service);
    } else if (action == 'resolved') {
        console.log('service resolved', service);
        /* service : {
        'domain' : 'local.',
        'type' : '_http._tcp.',
        'name': 'Becvert\'s iPad',
        'port' : 80,
        'hostname' : 'ipad-of-becvert.local',
        'ipv4Addresses' : [ '192.168.1.125' ], 
        'ipv6Addresses' : [ '2001:0:5ef5:79fb:10cb:1dbf:3f57:feb0' ],
        'txtRecord' : {
            'foo' : 'bar'
        } */
    } else {
        console.log('service removed', service);
    }
});

unwatch(type, domain, success, failure)

Stops watching for services of the specified type.

zeroconf.unwatch('_http._tcp.', 'local.')

close(success, failure)

Closes the service browser and stops watching.

zeroconf.close()

reInit(success, failure)

Re-initializes the entire plugin, which resets the browsers and services. Use this if the WiFi network has changed while the app is running.

zeroconf.reInit()

Credits

Android

It depends on the JmDNS library

iOS

Implements Apple's Bonjour

Licence

The MIT License